Wheel Bearing for FD -- any choices?
 

I may be replacing the wheel bearings on the front of my '94 FD. Are there any choices as to suppliers? I'm tracking the car often, and I'd like to minimize knockback and maximize life. I don't mind spending a bit more to do so.

Or are all bearings for the FD created equal?

-ch

Have your tried taking the bearings to a bearing supply house to find the best bearing available ?

Someone will even pull a batch for you and measure tolerances to find a matched pair.

Also, if you have the $$, use Krytox wheel bearing grease:
https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...ghlight=Krytox

NASCAR and other teams have used it and never have bearing issues again.

:-) neil

Chris, I think it's more than just bearings, it's flex in the upright. I installed a brand new factory hub, and besides the fact that they are no longer sealed but open-ball bearings, it didn't really change much. Proper torqueing minimizes the knock back. You'd probably have to have a whole hub carrier machined from billet, and used non-floating rotors.

From what I have read, it seems like the RX8 does not have the bearing and knockback issues that the FD does.

I wonder if they are interchange-able at all. The front suspension setup is very similar.

^^^

Good idea, though I wonder how many 8's are generating enough speed/grip to really tell. Not trying to be a weenie, just saying I can drive my FD at 8/10's and not really have the phenomemon

Peter, are you saying that the bearings and the hub are a single part from Mazda?

I agree that the upright is part of the problem. I'm just trying to see if I can minimize it with a good bearing choice. :D

-ch

Yes, exactly.

Is an "upright" = spindle?

Why do you guys think the upright is a problem?

I was just on Colemanracing checking out various hubs and such. Pretty aluminum parts. :)

Interesting.... Is that before or after the Stoptechs? Or was it after you did new bearings?

Some knockback info:

http://badisp.nasioc.com/forums/show...&postcount=147
http://www.stoptech.com/tech_info/wp_knockback.shtml
http://www.hrpworld.com/index.cfm?fo...action=product
http://home.att.net/~m.prendergast-a...l/BRAKCHRT.htm

:-) neil

Yikes, new bearings are now not sealed!

Do you mean, they don't have dust-seals anymore or something else ?

Is there an old & new pn# ?

:-( neil

I think we have all read that already.

As per StopTech's article, there are a few ways of dealing with knockback. One is anti knockback springs. Another is wheel bearing / hub tightness.

I think Peter posted that info in a thread in the suspension section. I can't seem to find it right now though.

I work with bearings in my job. Auto OEM bearings are generally from a top-notch manufacturer, and really there isn't a lot of improvement over those suppliers. The Mazda front hub assembly with bearing is probably as good as they come. Only by re-engineering the clearances and grease might any improvement be possible, and you'll quickly exceed the cost of a few of those hub assemblies.

We regularly substitute SKF for Timken for NTN for Koyo, etc. All them are major automotive OEMs.

Dave

Ah, well, that's good info. Sounds like there isn't really a 'super bearing' option for the track-minded folk.

-ch